Level 4 Data Analyst Apprentice

How did you feel when you first started?

At first, I felt a bit nervous, and I thought I was out of place. The reason I say that was because of the high calibre of people I saw. Coming from a regular east London school, I wouldn’t have thought I’d be in places like the FCA straight after finishing. I didn’t have extravagant experiences like some people from university or school; I carried over my accent and mannerisms I’ve had from school for most of my life. However, I learnt that despite me seeing myself as “different”, I still belonged. My experiences shaped me as a person and that was valuable here. Not after long from starting I started to feel more comfortable and saw people who I was sometimes intimidated from as people to learn from.

What’s your favourite part of your role?

As much as I haven’t fully delved deep into the more technical sides of my role, right now I do like to just talk and learn from people from a range of different backgrounds here. Like in meetings with my team, just listening to how they approach their work, and their insights is just something you can’t get anywhere else. I have been working on projects that do require a bit of technicality from me so problem solving by myself or with others is something that makes my role interesting and one of my favourite parts of it.

What’s the most valuable skill or lesson you’ve learned so far?

A lot of what I learnt is that the workplace thrives on rules and behaviours that school doesn’t always teach you nor heavily promote. Most things that my school drilled into me are now things I have to unlearn for myself. At work, I learn a lot from discussions I have with people, and I collaborate with others on solutions. At school, especially as someone from a STEM background, that is not the case. You have to solve problems by yourself in exams, and you sometimes tend to think everything is a competition with the way exams are even structured. Overall, a lesson I learnt is that I can’t keep the same toxic mindset I had in school in my apprenticeship.

What is it like being part of the workplace culture here?

It feels very welcoming, especially as the only apprentice in the wider team a lot more people were willing to talk to me when I first joined. Coming here felt like a mini culture shock, in a good way. People were very understanding and can relate to the feelings I had as a new joiner and were willing to help me settle in.

Where do you see this experience taking you in the future?

The future is still uncertain but with how powerful the FCA is in upholding the integrity of the economy, the world can be my oyster. But as someone passionate about data science, I may be looking for further qualification with my training provider whilst levelling up at the FCA as I love it here so far.